For folks who only know from from this top ten hits like “Hello, It’s Me”, “Can We Still Be Friends”, “A Dream Goes ON Forever” and “Bang The Drum All Day”, here is a look at some of the other classic music he has made in his long career….

He has taken some interesting paths in his musical career, but fans stay with him because there is true genius in his work.

Here are eight great songs from Todd’s catalogue – a great way to taste some of Todd’s greatness!

Todd’s Live Performance Of “Lost Horizon”!

I saw Todd in Beverly Hills in early 2016, and he performed this beautiful mediation on life and love –

“I have an ideal I think is real
But I just can’t find it
I believe that one day
I’ll melt away into that lost horizon…”

Here is that performance from 2016:

This song is from his album “A Cappella” – when Todd did the entire album without instrument…every sound came from him! Here is a look at the entire album:

“Nearly Human” is Todd at his most commercially accessible, with classic songs like “Parallel Lines” and “Fidelity” – and of course the roof-raising “I Love My Life!” at the end…but the album announced its lofty intentions from he very beginning, with “The Want Of A Nail.”

Here is the original music video, showing the song being performed in real time in the studio with a group of musicians and singers:

His biggest hit ever, and still performed flawlessly live on tour. It’s his remake of the original song he wrote in Nazz, and I love his live “Back To The Bars” version with Stevie Nicks and Hall & Oates doing backup vocals.

Here is his live performance from Beverly Hills in 2016:

For many, “Something / Anything?” is their introduction to Todd – so much great music in this double album, which was listed on Rolling Stone’s “Top 500 Albums Of All Time” – Here is my look at this four-sided masterpiece:

His misunderstood-at-the-time classic, culminating in what has become his anthem: my son is now a huge fan of the “AWATS” album, as he is listening to my original copy, and he fell in love with “Just One Victory”.

Here is a great live performance from last year, showing how great Todd’s voice and on-stage enthusiasm still is:

Finally, the album that started it all for me…this was the first Todd album I ever heard, and I was hooked, from the opening “How About A Little Fanfare / I Think You Know” through “The Last Ride”, “Izzat Love”, “Heavy Metal Kids” and all the rest…

He recorded it live at Wollman Rink in New York in 1974…

“Back when I was young, my hope was strong
But the time blew it all to hell
If I thought I knew what was good for you
I would have gone and done it for myself

Worlds of tomorrow
Life without sorrow
Take it because it’s yours
Sons of 1984”

This 2011 live performance shows how Todd involves the entire audience in this anthem…

This album also includes “A Dream Goes On Forever”, “The Last Ride” and “Don’t You Ever Learn?” See more music videos here:

Reblogged this on Nights on Venus and commented:
Happy Birthday Todd!
I’m just going to re-blog John’s Celebration here and add three more songs to the mix, including the first song I ever heard by him, 48 years ago… the song that made me a Todd Fan For Life (TFFL):
“Open My Eyes”, with the Nazz, 1968

From 1975 and the album “Initiation”, here’s “Real Man…

And more recently, from his album “Liars”, this is “Godsaid” from 2004…

You’re welcome John. Enjoyed your post and some other ones you’ve written about Todd, and yes there is a LOT to choose from. A plethora of ear-catching melodies. Today is like a national holiday for Todd fans!

I love great food, interesting books, fascinating travel, outrageous movies, and bacon, especially when it sits on top of a great cheeseburger!
I work in entertainment - and I have been lucky enough to interview some really talented Artists - that guides my posts: interesting and provocative movies, music, social media and of course, food, since I believe strongly in the maxim, "everyone eats!"